Class of 2023 Tips

[GoArmy2023]

Any tips for the incoming class of 2023?
Anything we should focus on or not stress about?
Thanks!
Congrats on all appointments class of 2022, hope to see you soon!

 

[Johanna_21]

^ me too

 

[prospective2019]

I would also like to hear some of thoughts on this! I can tell my peers and I are anxious to get started with this process and any tips would be great.

In particular, can any current female cadets share some of their experiences? I have seen very few anecdotes or specific information regarding this in the USMA forum. I know generally the experience is the same but it is still a curiosity of mine coming from a female-dominated school. I'm most curious about Beast/CBT and if there is anything that jumps out in particular. How has being a woman at a service academy changed your personal experience? Has it?

Thank you,
Go Army, Beat Navy!

 

[Casey]

I would also like to hear some of thoughts on this! I can tell my peers and I are anxious to get started with this process and any tips would be great.

In particular, can any current female cadets share some of their experiences? I have seen very few anecdotes or specific information regarding this in the USMA forum. I know generally the experience is the same but it is still a curiosity of mine coming from a female-dominated school. I'm most curious about Beast/CBT and if there is anything that jumps out in particular. How has being a woman at a service academy changed your personal experience? Has it?

Thank you,
Go Army, Beat Navy!

I'm a couple years removed from the Academy as this point, but feel free to pm me any questions you have about being a woman at the Academy or in the military. Best thing you can do is be in shape and be a reliable teammate during Beast and beyond and your gender will become a nonfactor for anyone that matters.

 

[LongRange99]

West Point admissions is live on Facebook right now

 

[prospective2019]

Admissions Livestream:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10159837405915058

 

[LongRange99]

Admissions Livestream:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10159837405915058

Thanks for some reason it would come over for me

 

[prospective2019]

I'm a couple years removed from the Academy as this point, but feel free to pm me any questions you have about being a woman at the Academy or in the military. Best thing you can do is be in shape and be a reliable teammate during Beast and beyond and your gender will become a nonfactor for anyone that matters.

Thank you very much! I will be sure to contact you in the future if I have any other specific questions.

 

[GoArmy2022]

If you guys have any specific questions about the admissions process from a cadet candidate’s perspective, I have many tales of both failure and success to tell. I’d love it if you guys could learn from not only previous candidate’s achievements, but the struggles that they had throughout the process.

I would be more than happy to help with any specifics. (Like the CFA, how to deal with DoDMERB, the wide range of what to expect when going to the doctor, what to wear on your candidate visit, the spectrum of nomination interviewing styles...)

The Service Academy puzzle has a lot of pieces...if I were to type my whole story I’d be giving y’all a novel.

Go Army, Beat Navy!

 

[TangoRomeo]

If you guys have any specific questions about the admissions process from a cadet candidate’s perspective, I have many tales of both failure and success to tell. I’d love it if you guys could learn from not only previous candidate’s achievements, but the struggles that they had throughout the process.

I would be more than happy to help with any specifics. (Like the CFA, how to deal with DoDMERB, the wide range of what to expect when going to the doctor, what to wear on your candidate visit, the spectrum of nomination interviewing styles...)

The Service Academy puzzle has a lot of pieces...if I were to type my whole story I’d be giving y’all a novel.

Go Army, Beat Navy!

If you ever decide to be an author I can guarantee you'll do pretty decent in sales! I think we'll all have a lot of questions once we start to work through the process some more; ergo, I really appreciate your offer and I'm sure we'll be taking you up on it soon!

 

[jipsyjips]

Focus on getting A’s in your English and math classes. Handle what you can!!. They DO look at individual letter grades, just saying! So even if you do have a 3.7 gpa but got B’s in mostly math and science classes, they won’t look too good to an engineering school.


Get above ACT/SAT scores. Verbal score is weighed EQUALLY as math score. English is extremely easy to improve so do your best and try to get a 36/800!!


Sports. At least try to 2 varsity letters.


Rec letters. Another one I’m sure could do me in. Be on good terms with your teachers. That means don’t skip class!

CFA. PLEASE improve everything you can. Please. It will help. The admissions officers will investigate to see if there are ANY holes in your application. Didn’t go over the average on the mile? Too bad.


Lastly, ESSAY. I know this is so obvious but read again and again to make sure there aren’t any grammar errors. Don’t utilize pathos in these essays. Pathos doesn’t really work that great since you have to get flowery. I suggest focusing on ethos.



These are MY regrets! Hopefully you can use them to turn yourself into a better applicant!

 

[ORD1812]

Anyone have a quick plug for Boys State? I've seen it pop up on this forum quite a few times but I hadn't really heard of the program prior to that.

 

[prospective2019]

Anyone have a quick plug for Boys State? I've seen it pop up on this forum quite a few times but I hadn't really heard of the program prior to that.

https://www.legion.org/boysnation/stateabout

Check this link out. Each state will have a specialized website as well. USMA and all Service Academies hold it highly in your WCS, and I’ve heard it is also a great experience.

 

[GoArmy2022]

Aim for Boys Nation or Governor/Lt. Governor while you’re there. Those give you more WCS points and are VERY fun.

 

[ORD1812]

Anyone have a quick plug for Boys State? I've seen it pop up on this forum quite a few times but I hadn't really heard of the program prior to that.

https://www.legion.org/boysnation/stateabout

Check this link out. Each state will have a specialized website as well. USMA and all Service Academies hold it highly in your WCS, and I’ve heard it is also a great experience.

Aim for Boys Nation or Governor/Lt. Governor while you’re there. Those give you more WCS points and are VERY fun.

Thank you!

 

[MidwestDad]

As stated as a HS Junior its not too late to get a spring sport letter this year; track/field is a good option if you need one.

Start taking ACT/SAT [both] including retests by June timeframe. This gets you scores in time for nomination and SA applications next Sept.

And you have 8 months to train for the CFA; don't neglect this.

But the die is pretty well cast for your GPA; not too much you can do 6th semester to sway the first 5. Try like heck to ace this final semester but you cant even change a 3.5 into a 3.7 at this point: [(5*3.5)+4.2] / 6 = 3.62
So focus on key classes and try to get 'A's in STEM classes; that study will also help your test scores.

 

[hopeful2023]

This may not be the most relevant question but I see on this forum where folks list the number of AP and Honors classes and I was curious, if they are listing one year as one AP/Honors class or two AP/Honors classes for each semester since each semester gets an independent grade? For example, if you take AP US History both semesters your junior year, is that one or two AP classes? Any insight? It probably doesn't matter either but I see a lot of those comments and was curious how to discuss in an interview.

 

[prospective2019]

This may not be the most relevant question but I see on this forum where folks list the number of AP and Honors classes and I was curious, if they are listing one year as one AP/Honors class or two AP/Honors classes for each semester since each semester gets an independent grade? For example, if you take AP US History both semesters your junior year, is that one or two AP classes? Any insight? It probably doesn't matter either but I see a lot of those comments and was curious how to discuss in an interview.

I personally have listed full year classes as one class. Thinking more along the lines of one AP test, one class. I’m not sure what others do, but to me it does not make sense to list weighted classes by semester unless they are listed separately on your transcript.

 

[TangoRomeo]

Aim for Boys Nation or Governor/Lt. Governor while you’re there. Those give you more WCS points and are VERY fun.

Any tips on going after those at Boys State?

 

[GoArmy2022]

Any tips on going after those at Boys State?

If you’re applying to Boys State, make sure you check your program’s website as soon as you can! It’s important to know how the application process works. I have a QnA open in a different thread if you’d find the tips I listed handy. I attended Girls State, but I can’t imagine it’s too different!

Good luck, and Go Army!!!